Chestnut Pearl
Chestnut Pearl is a chestnut coat lightened by two pearl-alleles. The result is a golden apricot or creamy copper-ish colour. The coat, mane and tail are usually quite similar in shade, giving the horse a warm and even appearance.
Looks Like (Phenotype)
A chestnut pearl horse has a light golden to creamy apricot coat. The mane and tail are similar in colour, quite pale but not white. The skin is pink or lightly mottled, and the eyes are amber-coloured rather than dark brown.
You might confuse it with a champagne-coloured horse, as they have similar characteristics. That is why we recommend genetic testing.
Chestnut pearl can be confused with champagne coloured horses, as the characteristics like the freckled/mottled pink skin, amber eyes and coat colour are similar. Only genetic testing tells you the truth ;)
Variations
Shades can range from:
- Pale peach
- Warm apricot
- Soft copper
Lighting and coat thickness can make the colour appear slightly different as the seasons change.
Behind the Colour (Genotype)
The pearl gene is recessive, meaning a horse needs two copies of the allele for the dilution to show on a chestnut coat. If a horse has only one copy (prl/n), it is called a pearl carrier, and the coat remains the same as its normal base colour.
Pearl and cream are located on the same gene. A single pearl allele does not lighten the coat, but it will interact when together with cream. Horses with one cream and one pearl allele (CR/prl) often appear lighter than chestnut pearl horses, often resembling the soft, pale look of double cream coats.